


Aliit ori'shya tal'din (Family is more than blood)

by Bmhobbs96, percyisasmartass



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M, Grogu is too cute, Human!Grogu, Mando is too hot, Modern AU, NYPD Detective!Din, Not Beta Read, don't kill us please, there will be smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:56:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28806936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bmhobbs96/pseuds/Bmhobbs96, https://archiveofourown.org/users/percyisasmartass/pseuds/percyisasmartass
Summary: After saving Grogu, his son, from a depraved lab, which he may or may not have blown to hell, he had to leave Nevarro, New Mexico. The scientist behind the horrific and illegal experiments on the boy is still looking for him. So, they had to disappear. The best way? Disappear into the system. Hide in plain sight, something he learned with the Mandos. He ends up joining the NYPD, and meeting a woman. Can he keep this new woman and his son safe from those who would do them harm?
Relationships: Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda, Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

The café NYPD Detective Din Djarin and his son, Grogu, were standing in was quiet and unassuming, located on the first floor of their new apartment building on the corner of Flatbush Avenue.  _ Pretty sure it’s called Aiyana’s _ . It’s quaint and has a gentle, calm charm to it, with the slate gray hardwood under their feet, to the pastel blue accents throughout.

He and Grogu were still deciding, staring up at the menu suspended on chains, the items and prices handwritten neatly with chalk. The cute illustrations danced on the edges, bright and fun. Not that the boy would notice; he was too busy playing with Din’s necklace.

Din could feel eyes on him, and when he glanced around, he noticed the workers behind the counter, staring at him as they went about their tasks. He felt like prey, a feeling he wasn’t used to. He looked around the room to avoid their gazes, and took in the white walls with paintings and portraits of cities across the country.  _ Is that New Mexico? _

All in all, though, the coffee shop was cozy and offered a comforting vibe that he liked, and that the kid seemed to like, too. Seeing the kid so at ease in a public place solidified coming here every morning as part of their routine. 

_ Speaking of _ , Din thought as he turned to his son. “Alright, you want hot cocoa or steamed milk?” Din asks quietly, already knowing what he wanted. Not really much for speaking, the boy makes a humming noise that Din nods at, and steps up to the pastel blue counter. 

He knew the kind of air he carried with him; he looked like he was constantly scowling. Still, it stung when people avoided him or treated him with hostility. Like, yeah, okay; he gets it, and it just got worse since he got the badge. But, unless someone breaks the law in front of him, he won’t do anything. He wasn’t even on the clock yet.

“Good morning!” Din’s head snaps up as a young woman bounces out from the right side of the room, through the swinging door, setting down a small bucket of what looks like cinnamon roll filling on the counter beside her coworker, before rinsing her hands in the small sink. Wiping her hands on a cloth, she walked up to the register. “How can I help you fine gentlemen this morning?”

The first thing he noticed about her was the curls she was trying to conceal in a messy bun, but little bits popped out and framed her neck and face prettily. The second thing he noticed were her eyes: bright gray, contrasting well against her tan skin, and darker freckles show up on her cheeks and bridge of her nose. Her black turtleneck was snug, her sleeves pulled up to her elbows, wearing one of those smart watches he’d been seeing pop up lately. Her apron is black but it’s spotted with what looks like flour and butter. Her name tag read ‘Aiyana’, and her smile is rather dazzling as she waits for him to speak. “Sir?”

He jumped slightly, flushing before he responds. “Hot cocoa and a blueberry muffin for him, please, and a chai tea and croissant sandwich.” She looks down at the pad, tapping it all in with one finger quickly, before it hovers as she glances up at him.

“Your name, Detective?”

“Din.” He clears his throat at her small smile.

“Perfect! Your total is nine dollars and twenty-three cents, please.” 

He gently bends down, untangling his little hand from the necklace and setting him on his feet, before standing back up again. He notices her gray eyes flash to the pendant against his chest, but she says nothing. His kid wraps his chubby hand in his pant leg while he looks at the fridge curiously, as he digs his wallet out. He takes out a ten, handing it to her before dropping a twenty into the jar. 

Aiyana pauses, glancing up at him, speechless, as she takes the bill and finishing off the transaction. She’s just counting out the change when he speaks up.

“Keep the change.” He knows it’s only a few cents, but still. Living in New York wasn’t exactly cheap; he found out the hard way when they fled here. They were lucky to even get their apartment. 

“Be out shortly, Detective.” 

“Thank you.” He bends back down and picks the boy back up, and she gives a kind wave to him.

“Hi! What’s your name, buddy?” Din tilts his head at him as Aiyana waits patiently. Din didn’t really expect him to talk, but he does give a small wave back at her. She smiles and giggles, and it’s sweet and pure, and so kind. 

“His name is Grogu.” Din answers for him and grins when Grogu looks up at him in response before taking hold of his necklace again. Aiyana’s smile is warm as she looks at him before looking back up at his face.

“Thank you for coming in.” She says politely, trying to make a small conversation. “Are you new to the area?” Din can tell she’s curious and he doesn’t blame her. Most people don’t have the nerve to strike up a conversation with him, so she was different in a way, and he knew he sounded cliché,  _ like something out of those damn romcoms Paz would watch on stakeouts _ , but it was true. Maybe it was her New Yorker personality, but either way, he was grateful for the effort.

“Yes, we just moved here recently.” 

“Have you settled?” She tilted her head slightly, leaning forward on the counter. The genuine concern in her face surprised him. 

“Almost.” He bounces Grogu on his hip, making the toddler giggle and pat his chest in excitement.

“Well, if you ever need a babysitter while you’re working, one of Cressida’s sisters owns a daycare just down the road. We also do small readings for the children in the evening, in case you end up working overtime.” He looks down at Grogu, who adjusts in his arms before laying his head on his shoulder, the pendant clutched in one hand, his jacket balled in the other while he stares at Aiyana with his big doe eyes.

“How… How much?” He asks hestitantly. It was worth considering, though, at the very least. Aiyana turns slightly, looking at a girl with bright blue hair tied in a fancy braid down her back, and her eyes pretty much bulge out of her head when she realizes they’re talking to her.

“Oh! Um…” She shifts uncomfortably on her feet as she preps a tray of rolls. “About fifty a week.”

“Fifty? That’s low for a daycare.” 

Cressida laughs nervously. “Well, she works part time at a grocery store on Friday through Sunday, then the daycare is Monday through Thursday. I… I have a card.” She hesitates at that part, biting her lip and looking away nervously before glancing back up at them.

Aiyana makes a subtle motion with her head and Cressida quickly takes off her gloves and almost jogs to the side door, and he watches her with a raised eyebrow before looking back at Aiyana.

“We don’t get many detectives in here.” She says absently, staring at the door, her hands sliding back in her pockets of her apron before turning her attention to look at him, giving him a long look-over. “Not to mention all… That.” She removes a hand and gestures to him, and he stares blankly at her in response. She stares right back at him, unwavering. 

_ Well, this is different _ . He’s not really much to look at, just dressed in his black bomber jacket, a silver dress shirt, pants that looked semi-professional but offered comfort and his black work boots. He didn't really think it was a sight to admire, not to mention that people were afraid to even make eye contact with him.

“We don’t get many… Mandalorians, either.” 

He narrows his eyes at her, his eyebrows furrowing to create lines on his forehead. His eyes dart around, checking exit points and placement of people. His body tenses, and he grit out, “How do you-“

“You wear a mythosaur pendant around your neck. Everyone knows that’s the signature symbol for the Mandalorians. The way you carry yourself screams testosterone, and the glint of your Beskar holsters don’t exactly say subtle, either.” She gives a small gesture with her elbow towards his holsters hidden away under his jacket, and he raises his eyebrows high.

“With observations like that, why didn’t you become a detective, Miss Aiyana?” Her ears tip red, but she remains calm, just giving him a sly smirk. Cressida comes back out, holding a small, bright yellow card in her grip, handing it over to him over the counter before quickly scrambling to the sink to wash her hands. 

“Thank you.” He says, nodding to Aiyana before turning and sitting Grogu down on the plush gray chairs and adjusting his shirt gently. “You okay?” Din simply gets a look and soft hum in response. Din slides into his own seat, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table, sighing softly. For once, he feels a bit relaxed. The other customers in the shop were quiet, adding to peace with the rhythmic typing, fwipping of pages. Glancing around, he noticed a couple smiling and chatting quietly while picking at their food, and two people reading, while another typed away on their laptop.. 

He looked out the window, taking in the overcast weather, threatening rain, but it feels good to have moisture in the air instead of sand and dry air. He loved the rain, the smell of the crisp, clean air, something that still shocks him when it happens.

He turns his attention to the toddler in front of him. He never thought he’d actually risk his life to save a little boy he’d found while investigating some shady new clinic in his town back in New Mexico. He’d uncovered strange, dangerous and  _ very _ illegal experiments and found Grogu in the process. 

Din lets out a sigh as he leans back in the cushions, his back killing him after sleeping on the makeshift bed they’d been using for the past two weeks. First paycheck and it was new furniture. Hopefully, the check would be enough, though. At the very least, he’d get Grogu his own mattress. He deserved it.   
  


They were able to flee from the state after they caused havoc in the town, with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and enough money to get them through maybe a month and half at best, if they were conservative. He had enough with him for food and enough in his account for fuel or other items they might need, but that was it. 

He was thankful he was able to get this job quickly at least, but he still had Grogu to take care of, and now he’s wondering where he was going to keep him while he worked.  _ Well, shit. _

He was so lost in thought, he startles when a mug is placed in front of him, the smell of chai wafting into his nose immediately. Grogu sits up when a smaller mug is placed in front of him, followed by a blueberry muffin and his sandwich.

“Thank you.” He says, looking up at Aiyana as she tucks the tray under her arm, and she smiles at him warmly, stunning him. 

“Welcome. It was nice meeting you both, I hope you guys become regulars.” She gives Din a nod, and a smile and wave to Grogu, who waves back at her. She spins around and walks back behind the counter, placing the tray down before going to wash her hands and joining her co-workers with the food prep.

Grogu taps on the table top to get his attention and Din moves the mug within reach of the child. 

“Don’t sip it too fast without blowing on it first. Like this.” He picks up his own mug, admiring the warmth from it, and blowing on it gently to demonstrate. Grogu watches in fascination before picking up his own mug carefully, blowing on it as best as he can. Din shares a secret smile with him before sipping his own drink, the warmth spreading through his body at it. It tastes amazing, the right temperature, the right amount of cream, not too sweet but not bitter either. 

Din tracks Aiyana with his eyes as she moves around the kitchen, laughing and smiling as the girls talk, creating an easy mood over the kitchen. It sounded like sunshine. If she feels him tracking her, she doesn’t let on, continuing to work alongside her friends easily. 

It’s strange. So different from how he’s normally treated, considering the fact she actually seemed to be able to talk to him without looking ready to bolt in the other direction. 

He did wonder how she knew of the Mandalorians. Of course people knew of them, of their history, but it’s not exactly like they were prevalent anymore, especially since everyone fled after his stunt in Navarro. He also got that feeling that Aiyana wasn’t from New York, but since it was such a large melting pot of so many cultures and races, it was hard to tell. The Mandalorian biker gang was known across the country, but over the past few years, they’ve been scarcer and harder to find. 

Maybe he’ll ask her some questions later.

~~~~~

Thankfully, the precinct had a little daycare that would take Grogu while he got oriented and started his day. Din kneeled down in front of him, gently fixing his clothing as he talked out of a nervous habit. Grogu listened carefully, but his eyes were glossy, and Din wished he could have him by his side for the whole day, but it was just too dangerous.

“Okay, so you’re going to be here for a little while so I can get settled here, alright? This nice lady will watch you but don’t worry, I’m just upstairs.” He adjusts Grogu’s little hoodie, holding the bottom of the fabric tightly in his hands as he looks at his kid, and Grogu nods slowly. Din lets out a sigh, gently taking his little chubby hands between his fingers and whispering quietly in Mando’a that he loved him, kissing his fingers lightly. Then he stood and nodded at the caretaker.

“If he brought you with him, they wouldn’t get any work done! You’re too cute!” She winked at Din before continuing. “Well, we have so many cool activities, little one.” She says cheerfully, kneeling to the toddler’s height. She’s pretty, with long black hair tied in a braid down her back and dark skin with dark yet kind eyes. “You want to go check some out?” Grogu nods slowly and the woman smiles up at Din before gently steering Grogu inside the room. Din clenches his hands nervously, watching them enter the classroom, and he bites the inside of his cheek, glancing around. 

_Can’t get worked up now._ _He’s right here, safe, surrounded by dozens of police officers and people who would protect him._ Only a couple of floors down from where he was supposed to be. Din shakes himself out of his stupor and heads upstairs.

The whole building held the precinct, about fifteen minutes away from his apartment building, and situated in between a parking garage and an office building that was five floors taller than this one. The building was older and not really noticeable unless you took the time to look at it. The floor he was assigned to was large and spacious. When he stepped out of the elevator, pretty much everyone noticed the new guy walking in. 

Din quickly took everything in. 

To his left was a breakroom with a fridge and vending machines. Next to that was a large open area with four desks pressing up against each other with some walking space. There was a clear path leading to the captain’s office on the other side of the floor, directly in front of him. 

To his right was the holding cell for criminals who were waiting for transport, to be booked, or waiting for bail. The floor and walls were tan and pale, dull and utilitarian, but he didn’t really expect anything less from a police station. The one back in Navarro was the same.

The rest of the floor was covered with desks, overridden with papers and files. He spotted one towards the back that was bare. Probably his future desk. Yay.

Din barely takes a step before a large man steps out from the office, his voice booming over the room, the entire floor going back to work. Din took that as a sign of respect for the captain, which he guessed was good.

“Detective Djarin, in my office, please.” 

Why did the walk from the elevator to the office feel so fucking long? 

The captain closes the door behind them once they’re inside. The man is shorter than him, a bit on the heavier side, but for some reason Din knows its muscle. He wears the blue captain’s uniform, his skin tanned, his head bald and scarred and he has no eyebrows. In the back of Din’s head, he wonders what happened to him, but that would be rude. He would probably be fired if he did ask what happened.  _ Don’t ask stupid questions, Djarin.  _

“Have a seat.” Din sits down slowly, watching as the captain opens a file and looks over it, talking formally as he does, not looking at him yet. “I am Captain Boba Fett, and I will be your commanding officer from now on.” He pauses briefly as he scans the file, humming to himself quietly. “You have an impressive history here, Detective.” His voice is deep and raspy, slightly sounding like he has some sort of respiratory problem. 

“Thank you, sir.” 

“Why the move to New York?” Fett asks, closing his file and intertwining his hands together, leaning forward to put his elbows on the desk, eyes now fixed on Din, studying him.

“I wanted a better opportunity for my son and I,” he replies. “I needed to… Leave my hometown.” 

“Start over, in other words.”

“Yes, sir.” 

Fett is quiet, observing him thoughtfully, his dark eyes blank as he watches him. Finally, the man leans back in his chair and nods. “Alright. We have briefings every morning at 0900. Today I would like you to get acquainted with your fellow officers until you have a good standing with them, and I’ll give you some cases to polish up on.”

“Desk duty?” He stares at the man in disbelief. Fett raises a non-existent eyebrow, leaning in closely as he lowers his voice, Din straightens his chair, defensive and tense.

“Detective, I am your commanding officer. I suggest you follow whatever my commands are. Do you understand? Or I will demote you back to rookie status and you will have to climb your way back up to where you are now.” 

Din clenches his fists before nodding, a flush of anger coursing through his body at the threat. But he needed this job and fighting with his new captain wouldn’t really end well if he did. “I understand, sir.”

“Good. Welcome to the NYPD, Detective Djarin.” 

~~~~~

Desk duty  _ sucked.  _

He did it when he first joined, but goddamn, he forgot about all of the shitty problems that came along with it. His hand was sore by the time lunch rolled around, after writing notes on whatever he found wrong in case reports, if there was evidence missing, or marking any discrepancies he found. He had lunch with Grogu downstairs in a quiet area, then went back to work, and made polite conversation with anyone who initiated it.

A case file drops in front of him as he’s writing some notes on the file for the person to fix. He pauses, staring at the file before looking up at Fett, who crosses his arms, looking exasperated as if he was looking at a child.

“Missed court date, needs picking up.” He explains shortly. “Easy enough for you, right?” And Fett walks away without another word. Din resists glaring at everyone who chuckles under their breaths, his stomach growing heavy with irritation. He sighs, looking down at the file and opening it, scanning it quickly before standing and walking out. 

Fuck. He doesn’t have any transportation, and taxis in this city are expensive as hell. Would they let him take a cruiser on his first day? They had to, right? He was on probation, but still. Might as well try his luck.

The garage was empty save for a short, frizzled lady working on a car engine in a small bay nearby. A loud thud sounds from the area she’s in and she jumps, hopping off her stand as she clutches her hand in pain, and lets out a string of curse words that Din has never heard of in his life, and he’s heard a lot, in a lot of different languages, too.

He watches for a minute until she calms down, bent over as she holds her hand close to her, finally noticing him.

“What are you looking at?” She snaps at him.

“I’m looking for a car.” Din replies dryly, and she gives him a quick once-over.

“No shit, Sherlock.” She straightens, putting her uninjured hand on her hip. She has dirty blonde hair, grease smudged all over her face, and she wears a simple red mechanic’s jumper, the name ‘Peli’ embroidered on the right side. “You’re new here.”

“That obvious?” He chuckles lightly, smiling and rocking back on his heels.

“Just a bit. First day, I’m assuming.” She gestures to a few unmarked police cars across from her bay. “Newbies get the short end of the stick, but I just worked on them, so they’re good to go.” He glances at her unsurely before pointing at the dark gray one in the middle and she goes over to a key rack and takes one off its hook and tosses it to him. 

“Please bring it back unmarked, thanks. Have a good one, newbie. Try not to get shot at.” 

That’s reassuring. “Uh, yeah. Thanks.”

~~~~~

The drive is short, thankfully, because he was about to lose his mind sitting in the fucking traffic for longer than ten minutes. He managed to cross reference where the dude liked to go and was able to narrow down to the closest little gambling spot about thirty minutes away from the precinct. Thirty minutes became over an hour because the route he took had nightmare traffic. Not to mention trying to find a god-forsaken parking spot in this god-forsaken city.

The little hole-in-the-wall gambling parlor was nothing really to be worried about or looked at, which made it a good spot for those with a problem. When he walked in, the receptionist tried to stop him, scrambling over her words about their permits and that it was legal if he wanted to check it out. 

Din walked passed, giving her a nod and smile, and into the main room. About six tables spread out evenly amongst the area, and he slowly scanned the room for the guy. He found him in the far end of the room, gleefully pulling chips toward him. That win wasn’t going to last for long.

Din crossed the room slowly, the entire parlor going silent, making Din smirk. Prey, the lot of them. The man didn’t even realize what was happening until the case file was dropped in front of him, flopping open to show his history.

Mythrol, a short, pudgy man didn’t look like much since he was fairly well dressed, and if you saw him in the streets, you would have assumed he was just a businessman. And he was once, an accountant who was embezzling money from his company, and when it was discovered, he was fired and arrested. He had missed his appointed court date, which isn’t really a crime, but it was his fourth missed date, and his fourth misdemeanor charge; he was supposed to be in jail but he kept making bail.

_ Not this time _ , Din thought.

“O-Oh, hello there, Officer, what can I do for you?” He asks as he slowly turns around, his voice shaking unsurely. Din doesn’t respond, remaining quiet and staring at him blankly, not moving a muscle.

“I… I missed my court date, didn’t I?” This time, he raised his eyebrow. “Look, I’m sorry, I forgot. Really. I… I have money, I just needed some time- I could offer you half-“

“I can bring you in warm,” he slowly opens his jacket to show his right holster, making the man gulp. “Or I can bring you in cold.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Unfortunately, they got stuck in traffic, again, and Din nearly sighed in frustration. Apparently Mythrol talked out of nervousness, which was  _ such _ a curse. 

“Are you new?” 

Din resists rolling his eyes.

“Because I’ve never seen you before.” 

_ No shit. _

“You’re a Mandalorian, right?” 

Din’s grip on the steering wheel becomes a little tighter, his eye twitching in a bit of irritation.

“I only ask because of the Beskar holsters. It’s very rare nowadays- I mean a Mandalorian is very rare, too, but not as rare as Beskar-“

“Shut up.” 

Mythrol curls into himself at the harsh reply, yet it doesn’t stop him, much to Din’s irritation.

“So, it’s true? I thought Mandalorians were only from, like, the southwest. What are they doing up here-“

“Shut up or I will knock you out.” 

Mythrol goes quiet again, and thankfully, he’s quiet for the rest of the ride back to the precinct. It was honestly a bit disappointing that there wasn’t any action, but with the way his back was hurting, he wasn’t really positive he was going to be able to land a punch without groaning in pain. He really needed to get a mattress soon.

Din is lost in his thoughts and only really pays attention when he shoves Mythrol out of the elevator and to the left, where a uniformed officer takes him by the arm to lead him to processing. 

“When you're processing him, add attempted bribery of a police officer to his charges.” The officer snorted in laughter, looking at Mythrol amused before looking back at Din, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.” 

“You’re a dumbass, Mythrol.” The officer comments before leading him away to book him. Din almost chuckles at the defeated look on the man’s face, shaking his head.

“Detective.” He looks over at Fett, who’s standing by his desk with his arms crossed, waiting for him. Din walks over slowly, crossing his arms and straightening slightly.

“Yes, Captain?” Fett raises a non-existent eyebrow, looking over as Mythrol is pushed into the cell.

“That was fast.”

“It was easy.” He grumbles, irritation evident in his voice. “Too easy.” He leaves the implied ‘ _ for me _ ’ unspoken.

“Maybe, but at least I know you’re capable now.” Din fumes quietly. To think his own captain would doubt his skills when they were all clearly listed on his damn file was a bit of a jab at his pride, to be honest. Of course he was going to be hesitant about the new detective on his team, he’d be concerned if Fett wasn’t concerned, but still.

“Sir, with all due respect, I’m a damn good detective. My file-“

“I don’t care about what the paper says, Djarin. I care about how you prove it.” 

“Then take me off desk duty.” Fett twitches slightly, staring him down. “Give me a case that no one else has been able to solve. I’ll prove it to you.”

Fett continues to stare at him before walking past him, stopping when they’re shoulder to shoulder. He lifts his hand and lays it heavily on Din’s shoulder, tilting his head towards him so he can whisper quietly: 

_ “This is the way.”  _

~~~~~

So, Captain Fett was a Mandalorian. 

Din stared at the captain’s closed door for the rest of the day before he was finally off the clock, his mind working a mile a minute. It’s not like he could outright ask him who he was or which region he was from because that would be rude and he was more subtle and classier than that. He’d have to talk to him privately, maybe in his office the next day. Right now, though, Grogu was his priority.

Din waited outside the daycare for Grogu, anxious to see him, his hands rubbing together. He hoped he did okay. He seemed alright at lunch, but then again, he doesn’t really talk, so it was hard to tell. The woman from this morning came out,holding Grogu’s hand, her eyes searching for him. Grogu sees him first, breaking off from her hand and running to him. Din kneels down and opens his arms in time to catch him, wrapping around the little blonde boy tightly in a hug.

“You okay? Did you have a good time today?” Grogu makes a happy noise, burying his face into his shoulder. Din grins and stands up, lifting him up to his chest, and he looks at the woman as she approaches. She was chuckling to herself, shaking her head and smiling at him warmly.

“Your boy had fun today.” 

“Did he?” A little tension relieves at that, and she nods.

“We built some blocks, we colored…” She pulls out a folded piece of paper and hands it to him. He looks down at it before sliding it into his back pocket, lifting his head up at her as she speaks. “I am a little concerned that he doesn’t talk. Is he non-verbal or has he not learned to speak yet?” 

“I’m… Not sure, to be honest. I think he knows how to speak, I just don’t know if he wants to.” 

“Some children don’t usually speak until they’re about almost five years old. They develop the ability, but they don’t speak until they want to.” She reaches and gently fixes one of Grogu’s curls, smiling softly. “When they do, they can speak full sentences easily.” 

“Thank you.” He says, nodding gratefully, before he hesitates slightly, wincing to himself. “Will this come out of my pay or I need to set up a payment plan?” 

She laughs, shaking her head. “No, not since you’re an employee, but we only open the daycare two days a week; Monday and Tuesday.” 

_ Shit _ . So two days at the station with him, and then two days at the normal daycare if he decided to go through with it, but then there were the three days on the weekend, if he got called to a crime scene during the weekend. Since he was a rookie detective and still on probation, he was likely to get the short end of the schedule stick.

“Thank you, ma’am.” 

“Of course. I’m Omera. And you are?” 

“Detective Din Djarin.” 

“Nice to meet you, Detective. And it was very nice meeting you, little one.” She smiles at them, waving her fingers gently at Grogu, who peeks out from his shoulder so he can wave back. Din smiles a bit.

“Thank you.” He says once again. “You’ll be open tomorrow?”

“Yes, of course.” He nearly sighs in relief. “You just moved here, right? Are you having difficulty finding care?”

“You could say that. We… aren’t really secure yet.” He grimaced at the confession. He was ashamed he couldn’t give Grogu everything he would need or want right now, but he’s getting there.

Omera seems to know what he means anyway, an understanding look on her face. “If you need some extra cash, look on Instant Jobs. They sometimes have jobs for the evening with instant tips and pay for the night. It could hold you for a while until you start getting steady paychecks. It’s what I did when I first moved here, helped me get on my feet.” 

Once again, thank god, the tension relieves his shoulders and he gives a thankful nod. “Thank you.” 

Omera smiles at him and then heads back inside the daycare. 

Din sighs as they walk outside, the smell of rain evident in the air, and, looking up, he noted the dark clouds. The air is cooler and he feels Grogu shiver at the feeling, not really used to the difference in climate yet. He tightened his arms around him and began the walk back to their apartment, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what to do for the rest of the week. They were okay on food, he got groceries when they got in town, his bike repairs would have to wait until he could actually afford to fix it. He still had to figure out the budget for furniture, let alone utilities. Maybe look at those sites that people sell on… Well, that’s not really a good idea if they were tracking his credit cards, so he’ll have to be cautious of his purchases. His cash was already running low, so he notes that from now on he’ll have to be conservative with it. 

Grogu tugging on his jacket brings him out of his thoughts as they stand across the street from their building, and Din looks over at him. He hums and points at the café, and Din frowns. Oh, right, there was that reading the girl was talking about this morning they do in the evening. He sort of forgot about that. The exhaustion from the day was creeping up on him though, but he had so many things to do. Although, if he did take him to the reading, maybe Aiyana would watch him for a bit while he did his errands…

“You want to go?” He asks, raising an eyebrow. Grogu nods. “Really?” Grogu looks up at him pleadingly, and Din sighs quietly. Who could say no to that face? “Well, I mean… If it keeps you occupied for a bit…” He perks up at that, his eyes lighting up. Din sighs to himself before the light turns so they can walk across, and he’s happy to see that the door is cracked open, sounds of soft chattering escaping outside. Din pushes the door open slowly, stepping inside, and the noises quiet a bit at the newcomer before they all give a small nod and return back to their conversations. 

Din bends down, gently setting Grogu down on the floor where he immediately wraps his pudgy hand around his leg while he takes in the other kids, and they hang off to the side sort of awkwardly until a familiar voice calls over the chatter.

“Well, look who came back!” 

Aiyana appears from the back, sliding through the partition gate easily as she carries a tray with one hand. She sets it down on a table before turning around and placing her hands on her hips, smiling at him invitingly. They walk up to her together slowly, mainly because of Grogu’s tiny strides.

Woman smiles down at Grogu warmly, making the boy beam. He’s thoroughly surprised that now that they’re face to face without the counter blocking them off, that she’s quite tall, maybe four or so inches shorter than him, but her lithe figure makes her appear taller. 

“Did you convince your dad to come back, sweetie?” She teases, and Grogu giggles for the first time in a while, sending warmth to his heart. Well, at least Grogu seemed comfortable with her. “Good job.” 

“How long does this reading usually last?” He questions immediately, subtly glancing around the café. 

Aiyana hums as she thinks, tilting her head side to side before nodding. “About two hours, maybe two and a half. Why?” 

“Can… Can I leave him here with you for that time? He’s not much trouble, I just need to get some things in order, but I can’t bring him along.” She purses her lips thoughtfully before looking down at him, nodding.

“Of course. He’ll be okay here. We’ll have some dinner and I bet he’ll fall right asleep afterwards.” He smiles widely at Din.

Relief floods him at the response. He hears Grogu coo happily and he looks down, panicking slightly when he’s not by his leg anymore, only to see him attached to Aiyana's instead, his eyebrows shooting up.

“Traitor.” He says before thinking, and Grogu giggles back at him, pudgy hand covering his mouth with glee, and Din huffs in indignation. Aiyana smirks before quickly dissolving it, looking up at him curiously. 

“I’ll watch him myself, so no worries.” 

“Thank you. I know it’s a lot to ask-“

“For a future regular, no problem.” She says, cutting him off with a wink, and he smirks a bit. She’s bold. Good, he likes that in a woman.

“What makes you think I’ll be a regular?” He crosses his arms, subtly puffing out his chest.

“I just know.” She replies easily. “Go do what you gotta do, Detective. Your boy will be fine here.” He nods, kneeling down and touching Grogu’s arm gently.

“I’ll be gone for a little bit, but this nice lady will watch you until I get back, okay?” He nods, walking up to him slowly, hugging him tightly and Din holds onto him as if it was the last time he was going to hold him. Can’t have that thought, though. 

“If the reading ends a bit sooner than expected, what’s your apartment number?” Aiyana asks as she tracks him with those silvery eyes of hers as he stands. Goosebumps break out on his skin, and he mentally thanks his jacket for hiding them.

“Fourth floor, apartment 4E.” She nods, then looks down at Grogu, putting her hands on her hips cutely.

“You hungry, babe?” Grogu coos up at her, giving her the grabby hands. She giggles and swings the toddler up, twirling once, and settling him at her hip. He’s rosy cheeked and giggling manically. 

“Thank you again.” 

Aiyana gives him a two-fingered salute, and after a second’s hesitation, he leaves the café. 

~~~~~

He drained his bank account of the remaining money, which was actually quite a bit before closing the account and stuffing the stacks into his bag. The teller looked too tired to even bother being curious, and he was all the happier for it. 

He went to the store and got a few more things for the apartment that they needed but didn’t have the money for when they first arrived in the city. Then, he went back to the apartment and sorted through their go-bags, washing their clothes with the in-unit washer and dryer and attempted at cleaning up a bit. As he waited for the washer to finish it’s cycle, he sat in the seat in the window, looking on his computer at the site Omera had suggested. The site was asking him to fill out a bunch of personal information that he really didn’t want to give out, so he used an alias instead. Maybe a site like this wouldn’t check his ID or anything. He hoped not.

Din lost track of time and was startled out of his search when there was a knock on the door, making him grab a pistol and creeping to the door. He looks out the hole, his shoulders tense, and he lets out a quiet sigh of relief, sliding the gun into the back of his pants and covering it with his sweater before opening the door.

Grogu is passed out on Aiyana’s shoulder, his arms wrapped around her neck. He’s smaller than he should be for a two-year-old, so she holds him easily in one arm. She’s smiling at him when the door swings open. He nearly facepalms, remembering he was supposed to pick him up.

“Hey.” She greets, her voice quiet so she doesn’t wake him up.

“Hey. Thank you, I lost track of time and-“

“No, no, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. He fell asleep after he ate, but I didn’t know if you were home or not, so I didn’t want to bother. We just relaxed until everybody left, so I figured you were home by then.” She nods her head to the inside, raising her eyebrows inquisitively. “Mind if I…?”

“Oh, yeah. Uh, sure.” He winces immediately as soon as he steps aside to let her in, hoping she doesn’t mind the emptiness of the place, grateful he picked up, and she does take a quick look around before turning to him.

“Were you able to get what you needed done?” 

“Yes.” He replies shortly, trying to hide the stupid embarrassment. She wasn’t letting on about the apartment, which he was thankful for, but still. She purses her lips awkwardly, gesturing around.

“You… Have somewhere to put him?” She asks, and he slowly disengages Grogu from her body to his, walking to their little bedroom and laying him down on the cot, taking off his shoes and sweater and then gently pulling a light blanket over him. He’ll wake him later to give him a bath to wash off the day, but he’ll let him nap for now.

“You don’t have a bed?” He glances over his shoulder to see her staring at him, almost analyzing him in a way, but there’s no judgement, just concern.

“No, we… We moved sort of the spur of the moment.” He replies, and she nods.

“I see.” She rubs the back of her neck, looking around the small bedroom. “Well, I have a bedframe in storage that’s in really good shape. And I have a little bed that my little cousin grew out of last year; it’s just kind of sitting in the spare bedroom if you want it. Still has a mattress, too. And some clothes for him, too. If you want, I can get them to you.” 

Din looks at her, surprise written on his face. Seriously? She didn’t even know him for a full day and she was already offering her old items to him? 

“I couldn’t accept. You’ve already done so much-“ She holds up a hand quickly to shush him.

“Come on, dude. I’m doing this out of kindness, not because I need or want something. I like you and your kid, and I think it’ll be nice having a cop in here, not to mention a Mandalorian. Please? Just accept it, and then I won’t bother you anymore… Until I need to, anyway.” 

Din purses his lips, and she steps back so he can come out, shutting the door behind him quietly and crossing his arms over his chest so he can look down at her with furrowed eyebrows.

“Why are you so bold with me?” 

“I’m bold with everyone.” She shoots back quickly, a small smile on her gorgeous lips. “I’m not scared of you, Mando. I want to be your friend, and even if you say no, I will continue to be your friend, however one-sided that may be. Besides, your kid is already attached to me, so looks like you’re stuck with me anyway.” 

“I-“ He pauses, raising an eyebrow in interest. “If I accept this… Will you watch him for me on days that I can’t? The station has a small daycare but they’re only open two days a week, and if I go through with the other daycare from your friend, that’s another two days. But if I work Friday through Sunday-“

“I get it, I get it, I can do math. Of course I can watch him.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I grew up in a big family, and Grogu is sweet. I’d be happy to watch him for you.” 

It felt like tension dissolved from his shoulders and puddled at his feet, and he looks at her with glossy eyes. “Thank you. It’s… It’s been stressful for us, and I want him to have a small routine at the very least.” 

“Of course.” Aiyana smiles softly at him, those sweet smile lines appearing around her eyes, and up close like this, he can see her ears are pierced with a black bar through her left ear, studs along the lobe. On her right ear, she has two studs in the lobe, with a conch piercing. They’re black steel, looking quite lovely against her tan skin color. Darker freckles dot her face as if they were carefully placed by an artist, and  _ fuck- _

_ Pretty.  _

“Well,” Aiyana says lowly, crossing her arms over her chest and glancing all over his face, “I should get home.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you, again.” He walked her to the door. His  _ buir _ made sure he knew how to treat a woman and a guest.

“Yes, well, if I didn’t help, I don’t think I would be very nice. And I pride myself on being nice.” 

Din manages a low chuckle, before she takes his hand quickly and pulls out a pen from a pocket on the side of her leggings, pulling it close to her and making him almost gasp. Her strength wasn’t what he was expecting, to be honest. She didn’t look like much, but she was unusually strong. Din wondered how mean of a punch she had.

_ Maybe we can spar, and I can have my way with that tight- _

“Here’s my number. Text me on the days you need me, and I’ll see how my schedule looks.” She finishes writing it down and pulls away, capping the pen and smiling up at him. He stares at the number for a minute, memorizing it immediately before nodding.

“I appreciate it. I’ll… See you tomorrow.” She claps her hands giddily as she walks to the door. 

“Yay! A new regular!” She giggles with her joy, the sound making him smile so hard, his cheeks hurt. He manages to hide his reaction, simply giving her a tiny smile as she turns around and looks at him, her hand laying on the doorknob.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mando. Get some sleep. You need it.”

Aiyana opens the door, and promptly leaves, shutting the door behind her gently. He immediately makes himself sag against the wall, and he takes a deep breath, the smell of freshly baked cookies lingering in his nose.

_ Maybe this place won’t be so bad after all.  _


	3. Chapter 3

Din’s going to lose his ever loving mind if Fett doesn’t take him off desk duty. It’s been two weeks of nothing but paperwork and tedious filing. Speaking of filing, the system was a mess, all hardcopies, some of them barely legible. He’d spent the last week physically scanning the hard copies, and starting a digital system. After that, he moved the hardcopies into storage.

Fett had even made it mandatory to put all further case reports and other filing into the system, so there was a rush to get current paperwork in the system. He’d had to create a digital report form. It would reduce clutter and help the precinct run smoother, so he’d keep his mouth shut. 

Thank the Maker that his coworkers weren’t making this any harder for him, only asking for help with their paperwork when they were swamped. Which, for some of them, it was simply sitting there. And that _really_ irked Din.

“Djarin!” Fett’s deep voice barks at him, startling him from his thoughts. “Get in here!” The captain ducks back into his office, a man with silver hair already seated in the rather comfortable arm chairs.

Upon entering the office, the silver-haired man turns to Din and he is struck by the smile. It was wide and crooked, and could be seen as cocky, but Din just saw excitement. “Djarin, this is Cobb Vanth. He was an officer in Mos Pelgo, Nevada, and was instrumental in busting the Krayt Dragon’s drug ring.” 

The Krayt Dragons were cruel, ruthless killers who have left bodies across the states and Mexico. The Nevada Krayts were especially dangerous, as they had taken to using the canyons and underground tunnels to move large shipments of drugs. 

“What with your record, I thought it best to assign him to you as your partner.” Fett’s tone brooks no argument. “You two take today off, paid, and get to know each other. Be here at 0630 tomorrow morning for debriefing. Make sure you have a place who can take your boy for a few days, if needed, before then. Dismissed.”

Din glances at Vanth, their eyes asking the same silent questions. They exit the room, grab their belongings, and enter the elevator. Din can only think about picking up his son, pulling out his phone and looking up good lunch places near them. He startles when he hears, “So, you have a kid?”

Looking up from his phone, staring at Cobb Vanth, who’s leaning against the wall, a cowboy hat resting against his denim-clad knee. “Uh, yeah. Where the hell are you from?”

Vanth laughs, a wry smile on his lips, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “The accent? Yeah, I’m from Kentucky.” 

“That _would_ explain the rather thick accent,” Din allows, nodding. “How'd you end up in Nevada?”

“I was a ward of the state in Kentucky, but my fosters were shit. Treated us like slaves. So we ran, me and my foster siblings. Stayed together and ended up there. A sweet lady, Maz, took us in, took care-.”

They were at the daycare and Cobb cuts off at the sound of a shrill squeal. “BUUUU-RRRRRR!” Cobb’s green eyes locked on to the cutest little kid he’d ever seen, (Din's biased though). His son, with his little legs in his little beige coveralls and his green t-shirt and his itty bitty light up sneakers, ran towards him, his chubby cheeks red with excitement.

Din was struggling to keep his composure at the squeal. It sounded like Grogu was trying his hardest to say ‘buir’, and he wants to cry with joy, happy that his son was trying to speak, even if he didn’t get it right and it was Mando’a. “Hey, Gro’ika!” He kneels down, opening his arms to him, catching him as Grogu slammed into his chest. 

“Detectives! How can I help you?” Omera steps forward, her smile bright as she looks at Din and Grogu, if a little frazzled. “Is everything alright?” Her thick eyebrows betrayed her genuine concern for him, her eyes checking for any visible wounds. 

Din nods, meeting her eyes and smiling gently at her. “New partner.” He jerks his head at Vanth who nods and smiles at her, the tips of his ears red. “Got the day off to… get acquainted.” 

The giggle she gives in response to his dry expression makes Grogu giggle as well. _Maker, he’s so cute._ Din buries his nose into soft blonde hair to hide his smile, inhaling the sweet scent of his green apple shampoo. “Well, you three have a good day and we will see you next week, Detective. Bye bye, Grogu.”

Grogu grins at her, flapping his hand in an excited wave as Din walks away from her. Grogu leans back, hands once again on his father’s necklace. He’s too entranced by the shining mythosaur pendant and the intricate glass and metal beads to look around, at least until Cobb speaks up.

“He’s a cutie.” 

Brown eyes widen when they lock on to Vanth, a fist gripping Din’s shirt in a tight grasp, his cheeks draining of all color. Din thought his heart would break when Grogu whined against him, shivering. “Hey, bud, it's ok.” Din’s palm rubbed the small back in gentle, soothing circles, and smoothly rocking side to side. “He protects me so I can come back to you, ad’ika.” Grogu still hid from Cobb, refusing to look at him, but he relaxed into Din at the words. “Sorry about him. He’s a little scared of strangers.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Totally get it. Kids are shy, especially those who have been hurt before.” The man smiles. “I won’t push him.”

“How do-? You-?”

“It’s not hard to spot it in others when you’ve been there too.” His eyes were troubled and sad, but it wasn’t a new hurt from the look of it. He shakes his head, like he was clearing his thoughts like an Etch-A-Sketch. “But, you’re good for him. You make him happy.” When Cobb looked back up at him, he could see the light in his eyes again. “You’re his Maz.”

DIn supposes he’s not _so_ bad.

“Do you want to take him home? We can get to know one another at any time. I know your boy comes first.”

He blinked, surprised by the thoughtfulness. “Yeah, that’d be nice. But,” Din hesitated, looking down at his son. “But, you can come with. He might warm up to you.”

~~~~~

He was right; the little womp rat warmed right up to the tall southern man, cackling as he played with him. They had been using Grogu’s blocks to make faux city streets, little toy cars were used for traffic. “Are you ready, bud?!” 

A squeal of joy answers Cobb and then shrieking laughter echoed through the small, but rather depressing apartment. Din watched from the kitchen as Cobb swooped the boy like he was flying. 

“Superman! You’re Superman!”

“Su-rrrrnnn!” 

“Close enough!” Vanth belly laughed, causing both himself and the toddler in the other man's arms to break out into his own giggles. “You’re a smart green bean, huh?!”

“Bah!” Grogu’s little hands smacked against the wide chest. He babbled some more, his eyes bright, like he was really telling a story. He looked shyly up at Cobb through his eyelashes, encouraged by Cobb's nods and comments.

Din couldn’t help his smile at the huge grin on Grogu’s face. He'd missed that smile. He hadn’t seen it since before they left Nevarro, after the Alor gave him his Mythosaur tattoo, and he’d adopted the child officially. 

“Alrighty, bub. I think your dad’s just about got lunch rustled up.” Vanth stood and bounced the giggling boy and looked up at him. 

“Just need someone to pull out plates and forks.” Din smirked, wiggling his fingers at Grogu who clapped his hands in response.

“Oh, har har.” Cobb rolled his eyes, a smile on his own lips.

The banter had been easy once they’d gotten to the apartment and, then, Grogu promptly shat himself. Both men bonded over the absolutely horrific smell of the diarrhea that had coated the boy’s back, butt, and legs. Cobb’d been kind enough to give the now embarrassed and frustrated Din a small break, telling him to worry about bathing the crying child and that he’d clean up the mess. 

They’d started a load of laundry, and left the kid in a tshirt and his diaper, just in case.

They ate quickly, the boy nearly inhaling his food, as per usual, somehow not choking. After putting the food, simple mac and cheese and chicken nuggets, (he’s a single father with a two year old; his choices were limited), away, Din and Cobb shared a beer, just talking and getting a feel for the other person. It wasn’t until he was half way through the bottle, that he realized his apartment was far too quiet for his liking. He wandered into the bedroom he and Grogu shared and smiled. The boy was fast asleep on Din’s blankets, his head on the large pillow.

Tucking the boy into his little bed, he walked back out to Cobb, who was now washing the dishes. “Cobb,” he sighed. “We already talked about this; you’re a guest.”

“No, I’m your partner. That makes me good as family.” The man wouldn’t stop saying that, and, while it was a sweet sentiment, he didn't want to get this man wrapped up in his issues. “Besides, you cooked. Mama Maz raised me right.” He nodded firmly, scrubbing at the mac and cheese pot.

Din was about to reply when there was a soft knock on his door. When the solid wood door swung open, the gray-eyed woman stood there. “Detective?”

“Hey, Aiyana. Is everything ok downstairs?” He took in her running shorts, her smooth muscular legs out on display. Her tank top showed off some cleavage, the teal making her skin glow. Her curly hair was loose and wild. Her eyes were brighter with her hair down and it took his breath away.

“Oh, yeah! It’s my day off today, so I was bringing some things by for Grogu.” She smiled, her eyes light and glittering. “I also have that bed taken apart and ready for you.” Her eyes focused behind her and she stiffened. “Oh! Who’s this?”

“Hi!” Cobb was enthusiastic about greeting her, but he hung on Din. “I’m his partner!”

“P-partner?” She looked at Din, her eyes widening and her cheeks blushing. “You’re-”

“No, _no_ I am _not_ ,” Din cut her off quickly, his own face burning. “No, he is my new _work_ partner.” Din shoved his now laughing partner off him. “He’s… weird. But good people. Just met him today.”

  
  


“Oh,” Aiyana blushed, throwing her freckles into sharp relief. “Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Detective. I’ll leave these with you. Let me know if you need anything else. We can go check out Good Will later. Oh, and make sure you text me!”

“Right, yeah.” Din watched in awe as she handed him four huge bags like it was a breeze. It was then that he noticed her arms; toned, shapely. She could probably pack a punch. “I--Thank you.” He had the urge to kiss her, but ignored it. That would be creepy as hell.

“Of course. Have a good day, detectives!” Those fucking shorts just seemed to frame her ass, and he couldn’t help but watch her walk away. _Hate to see her go, and all that..._

“Who is she and can I have her?” Cobb sounded breathless.

Din startled, forgetting the other man was there. “She’s mine,” Din hissed slamming and locking the door, with more for that was probably necessary.

~~~~

Cobb stayed for a few hours, staying until the end of the football game. Turns out, Din was not as big a football man as Cobb. He nearly woke Grogu a few times, though the kid did wake up on his own and walked out into the living room. He and Cobb would yell at the TV, the kid just to be loud, and Cobb because “HE MISSED?! IT WAS RIGHT THERE!”

It was draining, but fun. Grogu had ended up falling asleep on his chest just before Cobb left, so he was able to get some tidying up done and then he started on going through those bags. He’d even snuck in another beer. Hell, he deserved it.

He had just finished sorting through the things Aiyana had brought when he remembered her parting words. _Text me_. Din stood, wincing as he felt his now numb foot hit the ground and nearly toppled him. He grabbed his phone and flopped back on his threadbare sofa.

Hey, Aiyana? This is the detective.

Almost immediately, he got a response:

Detective! Hello. But, you must have a name, right? Or do I simply call you Mando?

He cracks a grin at that. _Sassy._

My name is Din. Din Djarin.

He looks up when he hears Grogu begin to stir from his nap. It was late, but he knew that the kid probably would eat and then pass back out. He’d had a busy day with being up early, being kept up passed his normal nap time, and met a new person today. 

Din heard his phone ding, but he was in the middle of heating up some of the mac and cheese and chicken nuggets, cutting the nuggets up and mixing it with the mac for Grogu. He fed the sleepy kid, watching him struggle to stay awake long enough to finish his food. 

After feeding him, Din got him in his pjs, changed his pull up, helped him brush his teeth, and tucked him into bed, kissing his forehead. “Sleep well, Grogu.” He stayed, simply watching the boy sleep. He could remember when he found him with Gideon, that sick fuck... 

Returning to the living room, he finally allows himself to look at his phone.

Hello, Detective Din Djarin. Welcome to New York.

He couldn’t help but smile at that too. She’d included a selfie with the text, a wide grin on her face, curly hair braided haphazardly. He could see a large t-shirt hanging off one shoulder, allowing him to see the fine dusting of freckles on her skin. In her hand, she had a glass of wine, the glass was tinted a pretty purple color, hiding the color of the wine. She seemed to be toasting the camera, toasting _him_. 

Why, thank you, mesh’la.

Din flipped the tv on, playing the news lowly as background noise as he played a mobile game. It wasn’t too late, but he wasn’t sure she wouldn't respond. He was so absorbed in his game, he jumped when the notification sound went off. He held his breath, hoping the kid hadn’t woken before he checked what it said.

So, you think I’m beautiful? Thank you. Didn’t have to say it in Mando’a though. ;P

She knew… She was going to be the death of him.

~~~~

“Djarin, Vanth,” Captain Fette ground out. It was the next morning, in the bullpen. “We got a teenager that’s been kidnapped by Fennec Shand.”

“The contract killer?” Cobb sat up straighter, his eyes wide. “Isn’t she responsible for murders across the country?”

“Well, yes, but they can’t connect her to them officially. However,” he produced a remote, turning on the projector, displaying grainy images of Fennec and a dark haired, tanned young man, “she was caught on the Calican’s home security system. We believe he might have been in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Saw something he shouldn’t have.”

Din nodded, his head already running through possible scenarios. “Is there any connection between Calican and Shand?”

Fett nods, pressing a button on the little remote. “He’s been trying to join the Guild. We think Shand might have taken out his initiation target.” His eyes were grim, his face stony. “We know she’s dangerous. This kid, however, might still have a chance. Dismissed.”

Cobb and Din nod, solemn and serious, and stand. “Well, let’s start with what we know about Fennec.”

“From this file,” Cob waved the manilla folder in the air, “there’s not much we know.”

“Incorrect.” Din sighed, trying to hide the annoyance. He has to remember this young man isn’t a Mandalorian, nor raised by them. “We know from her image she’s young. We also know she’s small, easy to blend in. She’s dangerous. If I had a captive, where would I take them?”

Cobb looked down at his fingers, a thoughtful look on his face. “Somewhere isolated, away from the public.”

“Exactly.” Din runs a hand down his face, pulling up a digital map of the city on his personal laptop, using Mandalorian programs, and filtering out the unnecessary locations. “That leaves us with far too many possible locations.” He swore, rubbing his eyes.

“Well, let’s take a look at more than the zoomed in still of the security footage. We might be able to track her through the traffic cams.” Cobb started tapping on his desktop, pulling up the footage. “She’s in a black Toyota Camry. License plate: GWL-1976.”

“Affirmative.” Pulling up another program, he input the license plate into the pattern recognition field, and let it search for the correct footage. “Let’s see…” The feeds start popping up, leading them on a wild goose chase through turns, neighborhoods, and cul-de-sacs. “Headed toward the docs… West side.” After that, there was no further footage. 

“All units…” Cobb scrambled up, speaking quickly into his walkie, informing dispatch, while holstering his side arm, and his kevlar. He ran out of the precinct to the garage. 

He knew how to hustle, that’s for sure. Din was relieved the man wasn’t a total newbie. Yeah, he was green, but he was quick and smart. His idea to use the make model and the license plate like that was genius, and he’s almost jealous that he didn’t think of it first. 

_Maybe working with him won’t be_ so _bad._

~~~~

This was one part of the job Din would never get used to. 

“You did what you had to.” He could feel Cobb’s hand come down on his shoulder. They were sitting outside the crime scene, where he’d had to… He couldn’t finish that thought. He’d killed before, but this was… “You didn’t have a choice, Din. You had to save her.”

Turns out, Fennec was a child. A 14 year old girl, though she didn’t look her age. She’d been kidnapped by Toro Calican, trying to get his 15 minutes of fame. He’d forced the girl to kill for him, using her family as hostages, though, he’d already killed them. Calican had planned to make her out to be this prolific killer, then he made it look like she’d kidnapped him, and was going to kill her to get the glory and the bounty on her head. 

When Calican had grabbed the girl, pointing the revolver at her temple, he’d nearly froze, remembering Grogu, how he’d saved him from a similar situation. He’d pulled the trigger seconds before Calican did, saving Fennec. 

“Detective!” One of the CSU techs calls for Cobb, making Din look up. His partner patted his shoulder before getting up.

Din gazed around him, and he noticed the girl, Fennec, on a stretcher. Her eyes were darting around until they locked on to his gaze. He raises a brow and she nods, a small smile on her face. He wants to wince at the black eye and the split lip, not to mention the other injuries she’s likely to have. Standing, he offered his own small smile to her and started walking to her.

“Djarin.” Captain Fett stepped into his path. “Good work. For now, I will be riding with her. I’ll make sure to get the statement from her personally.” He nods pointedly at Din. “Go home, hug your boy. She’s gonna be coming with me.”

He nods trying not to show his relief at being able to go home. All he could think of was Grogu and _her_. Din was surprised when her freckles, her smile, those eyes and that hair popped in his head. She was… He should ask her about that stuff she was offering. He turns around to head to his cruiser.

“Oh, and detective?”

Din turns to look at the grizzled Captain. “Take the next two days. This was a hard case. Vanth too.”

With a nod, he turned and headed off towards home. As he walked, he pulled out his phone, shooting off a quick text:

Are you free tomorrow? I’d like to get the stuff from you. Please.

The reply came not even a minute later, as he was buckling his seat belt. 

Of course! Just come down to the cafe tomorrow morning. I still have to open in the mornings. I’ll even feed you! ;P

He would never admit how wide his grin was as he drove from the scene. 


End file.
